The Heart of the Griffin
by WildDogJJ
Summary: The Ultra Cola scandal is revealed to be part of a larger problem involving Ms. Li, Linda Griffin and the mafia. As a result all of Lawndale is soon dragged into a maze of murder, betrayal and intrigue.
1. Chapter 1

**"The Heart of the Griffin"**

 **by**

 **WildDogJJ**

 **Chapter 1**

 **Lawndale, NJ July 2001:**

Sandi Griffin was very upset. As she lay in her bed and stared at the ceiling fantasies of killing her mother swirled in her head. She'd been having a nice summer until Linda once again decided to piss on her parade. The trials of her senior year at Lawndale High had caused Sandi to value her friends in a new light, much to Linda's chagrin. Sandi and Quinn now got along quite well. Sandi had even reconciled with her childhood friend, Jane Lane. It was nice to know that Jane had at least forgiven her for turning on their friendship for the sake of popularity back in middle school. Sandi had hoped they could be friends again but it was not to be. She and Jane had grown into two completely different people. Sandi accepted this as she and Jane still got along despite this. It was mwde easy by the fact that she herself still had her other friends. She looked forward to one last summer before they all, inevitably, went their seperate ways. Stacy would be going to State U in New Brunswick while Quinn was going to East Coast University in New York City. They would still be close as both schools were only a half-hour drive from each other and Lawndale was only two hours away. Staying close to Tiffany would be more difficult. At the end of the summer Tiffany was going to LA to pursue her dream of being a movie star. Because of this the four of them tried to spend as much time as possible during the summer. Now Linda had ruined it.

The four of them had decided to spend fourth of July weekend in Seaside Heights. It was Sandi, Quinn, Tiffany, Stacy and Stacy's new boyfriend, Charles Ruttheimer. Sandi now cheered up as she thought of Stacy and Upchuck being a couple. It turned out that the whole Upchuck thing really was just an act he put on to seem more confident. When he dropped the act he really was quite endearing. As a result everyone else, including Sandi, gradually overcame their misgivings and warmed up to him. Now it was actually amusing when Charles put on his Upchuck persona because everyone now knew he was just clowning around. Being with Stacy had done wonders for his self-confidence. Sandi laughed as she recalled one awkward thing that had happened on the trip. After watching a fireworks show on the beach Stacy and Chuck had mysteriously disappeared. The other girls looked for them and Sandi found them. It was awkward as she found them under the pier in shallow water sans clothes making a few fireworks of their own, if you know what I mean. As awkward and embarrassing as that was they were able to laugh about it later. When Sandi came home from the trip she encountered a very upset Linda.

"So, have they stabbed you in the back yet?" Linda asked snidely.

"No," Sandi retorted, "They're my friends."

"Sandi" said Linda, "How many times must I tell you, friends are just enemies who aren't screwing you over at the moment."

"You're wrong, Mother. They would..."

"Shut up" Linda cut her off, "They will turn on you. You disappoint me, Sandi. I raised you to be strong and you're not. You let that Morgendorffer brat steal all of your status and think she's your friend. You go to a community college instead of a real school. You are a lost cause."

Sandi snapped "At least I don't obsess over being a failed anchor. You tried to make me into you. News flash, Mother, I'm not you. I'm me and..."

Linda immediately slapped Sandi with the back of her hand.

"HOW DARE YOU TAKE THAT TONE WITH ME!" she shouted, "I give you food, clothing, an education and a roof over your head and you disrepect me. You're grounded, you little ingrate!"

"But, Mother..."

"No buts, not now or ever. Not unless you want me to cut you off."

Sandi got right in Linda's face. Linda scowled.

"You have something to say to me?" asked Linda in a menacing tone.

Sandi said nothing as she knew that her mother was ruthless enough to disown her over this matter.

"That what I thought." said Linda in mocking triumph. "Never forget that you owe everything to me and that I can and will cut you off if you cross me again. You're grounded for the rest of the summer. You are to have no further contact with your so called friends."

Now, hours later, Sandi is alone in her room fuming. This was the latest in her mother's attempts to mold her. Sandi wanted to even the score. One thing she and Linda had in common was that they both hated being powerless. Linda always made her daughter feel powerless. Sandi suddenly remembered a story Quinn had told her a while back. Quinn's parents had been visited by some old college friends one weekend. Sandi never forgot that story as the old friends had weird names: Willow and Coyote. From their own son, Ethan, Quinn had learned something embarrassing about her own parents (she wouldn't say what) and used it to get both herself and Daria out of trouble. Now, Sandi wondered if there was some dirt she could use against her own mother.

* * *

 **Meanwhile, at the abandoned quarry...**

Kevin and Brittany were riding in Kevin's jeep. Brittany was back in Lawndale for the summer and she and Kevin had gotten back together. Brittany had had a rough year at Great Prairie State in Illinois. She'd barely passed and so was transferring to a less demanding school. The school was Middleton College in Maryland. Kevin was going there too so Brittany decided they should get back together. Now they were approaching the quarry to do what they always did there, make love under the stars.

They were disappointed to find a car already there.

"Aw, MAN!" exclaimed Kevin.

As they drove closer Brittany recognized the car.

"Kevy" she said, "I think that's Mr. O'Neil's car."

"But, like, what's he doing here?"

Brittany thought for a moment, twirling her hair on her finger as she did. She got an idea.

"Park the jeep," said Brittany, "I'll ask him."

Kevin parked the jeep nearby. As Brittany got out and approached Mr. O'Neil's car he hoped she could get the teacher to leave and he'd be able to get it in tonight after all. Just then...

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK! KEEEVVVVVYYYYY!"

* * *

 **South Philadelphia, a few weeks earlier...**

Mama Mangano's was a popular restaurant in this predominatley Italian neighborhood on the south side of Philadelphia. People from all over the area came here for the warm atmosphere and traditional Italian cuisine. The owner was a man named John Magano. He was a local celebrity, but not because of the restaurant that served his mother's recipies. He owed his fame to being the boss of Philadelphia's Cosa Nostra family. He had a private office in the back that he used for business. He now sat behind the desk meeting with his underboss, his consigliere and one of his capo's.

John's nickname was "Handsome John", and it was appropiate. He looked more like a movie star than a gangster. He had short, expertly styled black hair and a perfectly chisled face. At the beach he was admired for his lean, muscular build. He always wore designer clothes and had a charming smile that would make people like him instantly. He was also smart and ruthless.

His underboss was Louis "Fat Louie" Sorentino. Louie was over 300 pounds and was constantly stuffing his face. He was also a simpleton. While he could make people fear him he lacked any true cunning. John felt he was the perfect right hand man: mean enough to be second-in-command, but to stupid to be a leader.

The consigliere was Dominic Valentino. Dominic was a withered, 75 year old man who was very respected. He was known for both his wisdom and brutal honesty.

The fourth man in the room was a capo by the name of Nicholas "Nicky Cowboy" Correlli. Short and stocky, Nicky was as strong as a bull. His face was rugged and harsh. He was known for being a good earner while also being fearsome muscle, a good combination in this particular line of work. He got the nickname "Cowboy" due to his kill first, ask later approach to problem solving. His crew had the best hit men in the family.

"Nicky, I called you in 'cause I got a problem you could maybe solve." said John.

"What's that?" asked Nicky.

"You been watching the news lately?" said John, "An anonymous tip led to the exposure of a friend of mine, Leonard Lamm. They haven't been able to implicate me in anything, yet. Louie, tell what you told me."

Louie immediately said "I got a source in the Lawndale County DA's office. Turn's out the whistle blower is some science teacher. A feminazi - named Barch."

Dominic said "This is no good. Lenny and John's business partnership made the news. Who's to say that this doesn't encourage others to come forward. We gotta nip this in the bud."

John said "Nicky, I want you to take care of this Barch whore. Do it in a way that sends a message."

With an evil smile Nicky said "Consider it done, John."

* * *

 **The abandoned quarry in Lawndale, a few weeks later...**

"EEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKKKKKK! KEVVVVYYYY!"

Upon hearing Brittany's scream, Kevin leapt out of his jeep and ran to her. She was standing by the driver side of Mr. O'Neil's car and shaking uncontrollably.

"What's wrong, babe?" Kevin asked.

Brittany nervously pointed at the car. Both windows were shattered. Ms. Barch was in the passenger seat and Mr. O'Neil was in the drivers seat, both of them were dead. Ms. Barch had a bullet wound in her right temple with an exit wound on her left temple, her brains splattered on her left shoulder. Mr. O'Neil was similarly wounded from the opposite direction. Ms. Barch had a dead rat stuffed in her mouth.

* * *

 **The following evening at a hotel in Atlantic City...**

Handsome John was the bed of his penthouse suite in the casino hotel he owned. He lay naked under the silken sheets. Laying next to him was a naked woman. This woman wasn't his wife (who was back home with the kids) but his _comare_ (pronounced Goo-mahr-a). She was also a business associate of his. Her name was Linda Griffin. The phone rang and he answered.

"Yeah?"

On the other end of the line Nicky was calling from a payphone on Dega Street.

"It's done" he said.

"Any problems?" asked John.

"Had to deal with the boyfriend too. Couldn't be helped."

"No problem."

With that, John hung up.

"Who was that, my Italian Stallion?" asked Linda.

"Just my wife. She knows how I worry about the kids."

With that, he and Linda started to make out.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

The news or Ms. Barch and Mr. O'Neil being murdered shocked the town of Lawndale. Stuff like this wasn't supposed to happen in Lawndale. This happened in big cities like Philadelphia or economically depressed slum towns like Camden, not a lily-white upper-middle class suburb like Lawndale. What was most shocking was that it had all the trademarks of a mob hit. This baffled the community even further since the only known association the two victims had with the mafia was that they were teachers at Lawndale High. The scandal now known as cola-gate involved a shady deal between Ms. Li and Mr. Lamm, an ad executive with ties to the Philadelphia mob. Rumors speculated that Barch and O'Neil saw something and were executed to ensure it never got out.

Sandi Griffin had no time for such trivial (in her mind) matters as she was snooping in her mother's study at home. It was never of any interest until now. Linda had gone too far when she grounded Sandi for no good reason. Sandi remembered the story of how Quinn once used dirt on her parents to get out of trouble and now Sandi hoped to dig up similar dirt on her own mother. She considered blackmailing Linda with it but dropped that idea as she realized that Linda would just strike back in a cruelly draconian manner. Revenge was the better option. Sandi would even the score by leaking whatever she found, resulting in Linda being humiliated. Since Linda allowed no one in her study Sandi had to wait for an opportunity to snoop without getting caught. She didn't have to wait long.

On this particular evening Linda was spending the night at a business conference in Atlantic City. Sandi's father, Tom, was at a two-week accounting conference in Washington, DC while Sam was at an all night party at the lake and Chris was sleeping over at a friends house. Sandi had the entire Griffin house to herself. She had entered the study with the intention of finding and copying any embarrassing information she found. She'd keep the copies and put the originals back as they were and no one would know until it was time to strike. Linda had pushed Sandi so far that now Sandi was ready to do some pushing of her own.

Sandi looked around the study, the theme from that confusing Tom Cruise movie about spies playing in her head. She noted the desk and computer complete with a printer that was also a copier and fax machine. The room also had a filing cabinet.

She thought to herself _Anything damaging on the computer would be password protected and I don't know the password._ She continued to look around the room and saw that the top drawer was marked "Business Correspondence".

She tried to open the drawer but found it to be locked shut. She wondered if maybe Linda was smart enough to take the key with her to Atlantic City. Hoping that wasn't the case, Sandi decided to check the desk drawers. She opened the top one and couldn't believe her luck when she saw the key right there atop a stack of blank sheets of paper. Sandi immediately took the key. She had no trouble unlocking the top drawer of the filing cabinet. Inside, there were folders marked with a month and a year, the most recent being "July 2001". Sandi went through it and grimmaced when she found nothing of note.

She got an idea at that moment. She remembered how in addition to grade fixing the scandal that got Ms. Li arrested included the Ultra-Cola incident. She got a folder marked "Dec. 1999" and went through it. There, she found something interesting. It read:

From the Desk of:

Linda Griffin, VP of Marketing

WSBC-TV, Lawndale, NJ

Ms. Angela Li,

It has come to my attention that with the failure of last November's tax referendum the school has found itself in a financial bind. I believe that I can help you out in this matter. I know an executive for a national advertising distributership who can be of service in this matter, Leonard Lamm. If you like, I could arrange a meeting between you and Mr. Lamm.

Sincerely,

Linda Griffin

Sandi grinned as she took the letter to the printer to copy. Once that was done she put the original back where she'd found it. She remembered the whole affair from her junior year and how it had ended with Ms. Li having a very public nervous breakdown. At this moment she wondered if that led to anything else damaging to her mother's reputation. She pulled out another folder, this one marked "Feb. 2000". She found another interesting letter.

From the Desk of:

Linda Griffin, VP of Marketing

WSBC-TV, Lawndale, NJ

Ms. Angela Li,

It appears that the original agreement must be re-negotiated in light of recent mishaps. To that end Mr. Lamm and I would like to introduce you to a mutual friend of ours. He does not wish to be named in any official correspondence but he has a controlling interest in many businesses that have ad time on WSBC programming. He has a proposal that would be mutually beneficial to all of us.

Your Friend,

Linda Griffin

 _The plot thickens,_ Sandi thought as she copied this letter as well. She then placed the original back and closed the filing cabinet. She locked it and returned the key to the top drawer of Linda's desk. She was about to leave when she noticed something off. Instead of being right against the wall the filing cabinet had a six-inch gap between its back end and the wall. Finding this unsightly, Sandi tried to push the cabinet back but found it was blocked by something on the floor. When she looked she found a safe deposit box on the floor between the cabinet and the wall. Pulling the box out, Sandi noticed how dusty it was. It had apparently not been touched in a long time.

 _Mother must have forgotten she had this,_ Sandi thought as she blew the dust off. _I wonder..._

Sandi searched for the key. It took almost an hour, but she found another key inside a decorative urn. She placed it in the lock of the safe and it opened. Inside was a video tape. Sandi placed the tape back in the box and locked it. She then left the study and went to her room. She took the copied letters, the safe-deposit box and the key with her. She knew that her mother would not notice they were missing as she'd obviously forgotten she even had them in the first place.

* * *

 **South Philadelphia, 1987...**

Twenty-five year old John Mangano was being led into the basement of the home of a high ranking member of the Philadelphia mob. This was the day he had dreamed of since his days as a teenage hood. Today he was to become a full member of the Scapelli crime family. He would soon be _umano rispetto,_ a man of respect. The basement was lit by candlelight. In the center was a table with an urn in the center. At the table were all ten of the family's capo's along with the boss, underboss and consiglieri. The boss was Victorio "Little Vic" Scapelli.

Scapelli was a somewhat scawny 58 year old. Despite this he gave off a vibe that would scare the Terminator. He was power and menace wrapped up in a small package. Some said that Vic was possibly psychotic. In front of him was a needle and a stack of prayer cards.

"Come," said Vic, "Join us."

John was escorted to the table and stood directly across from Vic.

Vic said "You know why you're here. Today is the day of your rebirth. Today, you become a true man and join our sacred brotherhood, this thing of ours: _cosa nostra._ Any past grievences you had end today. You are being born into a new life. There is one way in and one way out. You come in in a suit and go out in a coffin. There is no return from this. You understand?"

"Yes" said John as he nodded.

Vic continued "This thing is a thing of honor, a sacred brotherhood. If something happens to you then we take care of your family. This family is a thing of honor, _la societa onorata._ It comes before everything. Before your personal family, your country, even comes before God. From this day foward we are your family, the brotherhood in your country, I am your God. If I send for you, you must come in. Even if that means abandoning a dying loved one. If I tell you to kill then you must kill, even a loved one, or you yourself will die. The family comes first. Can you live with that?"

"Yes"

"Would you die for us?"

"Yes."

"Would you keep our secrets on pain of death?"

"Yes."

"Would you kill for us?"

"Yes."

"With which finger do you pull the trigger?"

John reached across the table with his right hand and extended his index finger. Vic took the needle off the table and pricked the tip of John's index finger, drawing blood. Next, Vic took a prayer card with an image of St. Peter. He held one corner to the nearest candle until it caught fire. He handed the card to John and told him to hold it up in his bloody right hand and stare at the flame.

"Repeat after me," said Vic, "If I betray the family..."

"If I betray the family..."

"...may my soul burn in Hell..."

"...may my soul burn in Hell..."

"...as this saint burns in my hand."

"...as this saint burns in my hand."

At this point, Vic opened the urn at the center of the table.

"Place the burning saint in the urn." Vic commanded.

John placed the buring card in the urn. Vic immediately closed it. He walked over to John and kissed him once on each cheek.

"Congratulations" said Vic, "You're one of us now."

* * *

 **Atlantic City, 2001...**

John Mangano sat in the hot tub outside his penthouse suite and reflected on his life as he smoked a fat Cuban cigar. He had achieved his boyhood dream of money, power and respect. He had it all. He became a made man at 25, was a capo by age 30. Now at age 39 he was the Don, the Godfather, _Il Padre della Famiglia,_ or simply the Boss. He controlled a criminal empire stretching from the Poccono's to the Jersey Shore. He was allied with families in New York and Boston. He even had business interests in South Florida. His personal life was also a dream come true. He lived in a huge mansion in the upscale Chestnut Hill section of Philadelphia and maintained other residences such as his penthouse in Atlantic City and a condo in Miami. At home he had a beautiful wife and two great kids who never wanted for anything. He even had a hot piece of tail on the side. Linda Griffin may be 46 but she could still pass for 30.

"Penny for your thoughts, sexy." said Linda as she approached the hot tub clad in a sexy bikini and carrying a tray with some drinks.

"Just thinking how great my life is" he said.

Linda took a seat next to her adulterous lover in the hot tub. He remembered how he'd gotten this one. After he became boss John decided to invest his ill gotten wealth in a variety of businesses, including Ultra-Cola. He met Linda as he and Mr. Lamm tried to secure discount airtime for Ultra-Cola commercials. John thought Linda was hot. Linda gave them the discount time in exchange for regular payoffs. She thought her husband, Tom, was a spineless drip and soon began an affair with John. Not only was he very handsome and wealthy but he also had the bad boy thing going.

"You know," said Linda in a sultry tone, "I feel a little overdressed."

Getting the hint, John said "Well, let's do something about that."

He kissed her as he began to take off her bikini.

* * *

 **Meanwhile, back in Lawndale...**

Sandi sat in her room in shock. The video was surveillence footage of Ms. Li's office. Ms. Li, Mr. Lamm, her mother and a fourth person were working out a very illegal kickback scheme. Sandi recognized the fourth person. Mob boss Handsome John Mangano had been covered on Fashion Vision often due to his taste in designer clothes.

"I can't believe it!" she said to herself, "My mother is in business with the mob!"

She didn't understand the details of what they were talking about and wished she'd paid more attention in economics because of it. All she knew was that what they were doing was highly illegal. The shock subsided quickly as Sandi realized what she had proof of. She had only expected to find something embarrassing and unethical. Instead she found something that could put Linda in jail for a long time. A wicked smile crossed Sandi's face as she considered what would happen if the tape and letters wound up in the hands of the authorities.

 _Mother,_ she thought, _You're going down._


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Stacy Rowe had been jumpy ever since the story of Ms. Barch and Mr. O'Neil being murdered had made the news. She knew why it happened. Planning to major in journalism meant that she followed the news more than she used to so she knew that Mr. Lamm had ties to the mafia. She'd guessed correctly that Barch had been killed for her role in exposing the scandal. She'd also correctly guessed that Mr. O'Neil was only killed as a result of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. The reason Stacy worried was because she was the one who'd actually sent the evidence to the District Attorney's office after Ms. Barch gave it to her. If the mob knew of Barch's role then they probably knew of Stacy's role as well. As a result, she was on edge. Stacy was worried that she'd be next. Never mind that she knew nothing of the mob's role in the scandal until after Ms. Li was arrested. She was afraid to be alone now. Any time not spent with Chuck was spent with Quinn. They both understood her concern. Stacy felt especially safe when at Quinn's house. Mrs. Morgendorffer was a lawyer and the mob considered lawyers off limits. Killing lawyers drew too much attention from the authorities. For that same reason cops and politicians were also off limits when it came to mob violence.

On this particular evening Stacy was on a dinner date with Chuck. He'd taken her to Chez Pierre. He wanted to take her to the quarry but she refused as that was where the bodies of Ms. Barch and Mr. O'Neil were found. Chuck understood. Now, they were enjoying each others company. Stacy was so relaxed that she didn't notice the lone diner looking at her.

This lone man was dangerous looking. While he wore a nice suit, complete with a 24-karat Rolex, he looked rough. He had slicked back brown hair, a rough face, and a large and muscular build. His glare was one that would scare the Devil himself. He had actually been following Stacy all day. He knew where she lived and who her friends were. His mission was to ensure that the Barch hit did indeed send a message.

"So," said Stacy to her boyfriend, "What's State U like?"

"A typical state-run university," he said, "It's a large campus with a lot of fraternities and sororities. The academics would be decent if they had a business school. It's Tech program is good, though. I think you'll like their business school."

"That's so cool," Stacy replied, "Do you know what you wanna do after you graduate?"

Chuck said "Start my own internet business. It may not seem that way now, but I bet that in ten years everyone will do all business over the internet."

Stacy said "I don't know about that. The shopping experience is still a great way to socialize."

"Trust me," said Chuck, "In a few years there'll probably websites dedicated to online socializing. I want to get in on the ground floor."

Stacy decided not to tell him how outlandish the idea of online social media was. That sort of thing only existed in science fiction. Then again, it was 2001. In 1991 you would have been hard pressed to find someone who'd even heard of the internet. By 1997, everyone was online, so maybe the idea of online shopping and socializing wasn't as far fetched as it seemed.

"Excuse me," said Chuck, "I need to use the bathroom."

With that, he got up to go to the mens room. The menacing stranger immediately approached Stacy. He put on a dsiarming smile.

"Excuse me, " he said "But you're Stacy Rowe, right?"

"Do I know you?" she asked politely.

The man put his hand on her shoulder and whispered in her ear. His tone was very threatening.

"I know what you did." he said "It could land some friends of mine in trouble. If you wanna stay healthy you'll keep your mouth shut and not do it again. Since you didn't know who you were dealing with you get a pass, this time. You tell anyone about this conversation and we'll kill you, your scrawny ass boyfrined, and that Quinn girl you hang out with. Nod if you understand."

Stacy was too frozen with fear to do anything. The man tightened his grip on Stacy's shoulder.

"Nod if you understand." he said in a more forceful tone.

Stacy nodded.

"Remember," he continued, "We know who you are, who your friends are, and where you live, so don't fuck with us. Lotta people gonna die if you do."

He lets go of Stacy's shoulder and is once again all smiles.

"Have a nice evening."

He left just as Chuck was coming back from the bathroom. Stacy began to hyperventilate.

* * *

 **Outside...**

The man who'd threatened Stacy walked across the parking lot of Chez Pierre and down the sidewalk to a payphone around the corner. He dialed a number and waited for a response on the other end. Finally...

"Nicky," he said, "It's Carmine, message delivered."

"Good" said Nicky Corelli on the other end.

* * *

 **August, 2001...**

Sandi was conflicted. She'd been sitting on the incriminating evidence she had on her mother for a few weeks now. She was going to wait until fall classes at Carter Community College started before delivering the tape and letters to the DA. By waiting, though, she'd given her head time to cool and was now having second thoughts. Yes, her mother deserved to go to jail, but was it worth all of the turmoil it would throw the family into. Also, Sandi had to consider the potential danger to herself. If she made the evidence public there was no telling what the mob would do. Sandi didn't want to have to go into witness protection and sever all ties with her friends. If she did turn in the evidence she'd have to do just that. Otherwise, these guys might kill her.

 _Dammit._ she thought as she sat alone in her room. This plan of hers wasn't thought out very well. Sandi wished there was someone she could talk to, someone who could advise her how to handle this. There was no one, Linda had seen to that. Sandi was cut off from her friends. She had to find a way around this grounding. Maybe Quinn would know what to do. Even better would be Quinn's sister, Daria. Sandi knew that Daria was town for a few weeks before fall classes started at Raft. The problem was getting around Linda. There had to be a solution.

* * *

 **The Morgendorffer house, afternoon...**

The Former Fashion Club, including Sandi, were in the living room watching Fashion Vision. Once again, the solution to a problem had fallen right into Sandi's lap. Linda was spending a whole week in Atlantic City on business and Tom had another conference in DC. Her brothers didn't give enough of a shit to rat her out so they were no problem. Sandi was free at last. She'd come over to spend time with her friends and salvage what she could of her last summer before college. Sandi had brought a backpack, which only Quinn noticed. Sandi's excuse was that with the summer almost over she'd wanted to get used to carrying one since they don't have lockers at college. The real reason was because it contained the package that held the incriminating evidence against Linda.

"Quinn," said Sandi, "Is, like, your sister here?"

Quinn said "She's watching that weird show of hers in her room. Why?"

"No reason."

They resumed watching TV. When the show was over the four friends decided to talk about nothing in particular. When the moment was right Sandi excused herself.

"Excuse me," she said "But I have to go upstairs and use the bathroom. I'll be back in a few minutes."

"What's wrong with the downstairs bathroom?" asked Quinn.

"Nothing, I just like the mirror in the upstairs bathroom. It's so much more flattering."

Moments later, Sandi entered Daria's room. Daria was reading a book when Sandi entered. Daria looked up and was less than pleased at the interruption.

"Don't you ever knock?" Daria said in an annoyed tone.

"I, like, need your advice." said Sandi.

"I don't know anything about fashion or accessories."

"It's not that. I need help with...What's that thing, when you have to make a choice between doing something wrong and something else wrong?"

"A moral dilemma."

Embarrassed, Sandi said "Yes, I have a moral dilemma."

Daria thought _This could be interesting, and I could use the blackmail material._

"All right," she said, "What's the problem?"

Sandi opened up her backpack and showed Daria the package. She didn't open it.

"In this package," she said "Is some dirt on my mother. She ruined my summer, she's controlled me all my life. If I mail this package it'll ruin her. I want to ruin her, she deserves it."

"But?"

"But I'm afraid to. It feels wrong. The problem is that not delivering this package feels wrong too. I don't know what to do. Can you give me some advice?"

Daria pondered this for a moment. She saw a pleading look on Sandi's face that she'd never seen before.

Daria said "Let me ask you a question: Why do you want to mail that package?"

Confused, Sandi asked "What do you mean?"

"Are you doing this because you feel compelled by your conscience, or because you want revenge on your mother?"

Sandi thought about it for a moment. She clearly doesn't understand what Daria's getting at.

Daria said "I assume that package contains proof of some kind of wrongdoing. If you are mailing it because you feel that it's the right thing to do, that's good. If you mail it just to hurt your mother, that's bad. So, what was your original reason for gathering this evidence?"

Sandi answered "I wanted to hurt my mother because she hurt me. I don't want her to win."

"So this is about revenge, not doing the right thing."

"Does it matter?"

"Yes, an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind. What would your mother do in your situation?"

Sandi didn't have to think long, she knew the answer.

"She'd mail it and enjoy watching her enemy suffer."

"So," said Daria, "If you mail this package then you prove that you're no better than your mother. Do you want to be like your mother?"

"No," said Sandi, "My mother only cares about herself. She hurts me because she wants me to be like her. I almost became like her. I was turning into a five star power hungry bitch until it almost cost me all of my friends."

Daria contemplated the situation for a moment. Sandi was clearly at a crossroads. Would she become her own person or go on being just like her mother? Daria knew very well that it could all possibly hinge on this conversation. While she had little love for Sandi she saw an opportunity to point a life in a more positive direction. _Damn conscience_ she thought as she made her decision.

"Leave the package with me." said Daria.

"Why?" asked Sandi.

"Because it's poison to you. If I have the package then the decision is mine and not yours. You're free to live your own life. I suggest you concentrate on being who YOU want to be instead of who your mother wants you to be."

"But what if you use the package?" Sandi asked, "Where does that leave me?"

"Victorious" Daria answered, "By giving it to me with no idea what I'll do with it you gain a clean conscience. Your mother can't take that away from you. Life's too short to waste being petty and vindictive."

Sandi thinks over what Daria's saying. _She's so right_ Sandi thought, _I can get even with my mother and prove I'm no better, or I can walk away and become a better person._

"All right." said Sandi as she handed the package to Daria. Daria took the package and stuffed it under her bed. Sandi turned around and was about to leave when she stopped at the door. She turns to face Daria.

"Um, Daria." she said.

"Yes?"

"Thanks"

With that, Sandi rejoined her friends downstairs. Once there, Quinn noticed the serene smile on Sandi's face.

"What's going on?" asked Quinn.

"Just happy to be among friends." Sandi answered.

Meanwhile, Daria had been seized by a morbid curiosity. She decided to open the package and look at it's contents. She saw the two letters and read them. _So, Linda Griffin was involved in that whole Ultra-Cola mess._ Next, Daria popped the tape in her VCR...


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

 **October, 2001...**

John Mangano and his consiglieri, Dominic Valentino, were meeting at the office of their attorney, Eric Schrecter. They were going over the Ultra-Cola case and the possibility that it could lead to federal indictments.

Eric said "I don't want to minimize your position, Mr. Mangano, but with two priors you're in danger of sentencing under the habitual offenders statute."

John rolls his eyes.

"That waht I'm paying you for?" he asked, "To tell me shit that's already keeping me up at night?"

Eric gets a note from his briefcase and hands it to John. John reads it and nearly jumps out of his seat.

"I'd be happy to surrender Mr. Mangano at your request! You can be assured of my full cooperation!?"

Nervous, Eric said "Would you rather they break down your front door and hogtie you in front of your wife and kids? It's a target letter, a way to make us look good if this does turn into a racketeering case. So far, they only have dirt on Ms. Li and Mr. Lamm. All they got on you is guilt by association. With this letter we help paint a picture of you as an innocent victim in a government witch hunt."

Upon hearing this, John calms down. He just hopes that they don't find evidence of just how involved he actually was as it could be used to build a RICO case. He knew that the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act could be used to take down Ms. Li, Mr. Lamm, and himself.

"So" asked John, "They got anything on me but my name?"

Eric said "Their still going through the evidence. Last months terror attack has put this whole thing on the back burner as resources are being shifted to counter-terrorism."

"Fuckin' sand -s" said Dominic, "Flying planes into our buildings. Cocksuckers."

"Bottom line," said Eric, "The DA said I'd know when he knows."

* * *

 **WSBC-TV...**

Linda Griffin is in her office. Her phone rings and she picks it up.

"Hello, Linda Griffin."

On the other end of the line is John Mangano, on his cell phone outside of his lawyer's office.

"Linda, can we meet at the abandoned quarry?"

Linda joked "What are we, seventeen?"

"It's not that. I need to talk to you about something, something neither of us should speak of over the phone."

Linda's face turned pale as she heard this. She knew that it must have something to do with their kickback scheme.

"I haven't taken my lunch break yet. I can be there in ten minutes."

* * *

 **The Quarry, ten minutes later...**

Linda arrived to find John's car already parked. This was the perfect spot to discuss illicit business as no one was there during the daytime. Linda exited her car and entered the passenger side of John's Lincoln.

"What's going on?" she asked.

John said "I'm getting a little worried about the feds closing in on our Lawndale kickback scheme. You still have the tape?"

"What tape?"

John rolled his eyes.

He said "Remember when we met in the principals office, after the debacle with the original Ultra-Cola deal?"

Linda nodded.

"Li didn't want the surveilence footage falling into the wrong hands so you agreed to take the tape for safekeeping."

Now, Linda remembered.

"I still have it. I hid it in my study, behind the filing cabinet. It's still there. No one is allowed in. I forgot about the tape until just now, but I still have it."

"Burn it."

* * *

 **Meanwhile, in Boston...**

Raft sophmore Daria Morgendorffer sat in the North End apartment that she shared with Jane Lane. The apartment was a small one-bedroom located above Colombino's Pizza e Pasta. Daria slept in the bedroom while Jane used the fold out sofa bed in the living/dining room. Daria was in the bedroom staring at the package that Sandi had given her and was torn. She'd told no one about it. She didn't tell her mother because Helen would have insisted that Daria send it to theauthorities right away and she had no desire to become more involved than she already was. She didn't tell her father because Jake would freak out and this was stressful enough without that. She didn't tell Quinn because she was starting college and didn't need something like this on her mind. She didn't even tell Jane for fear that Jane would not be able to keep it a secret if she tried.

Daria debated whether or not to turn it in anonymously. While she had no desire to get involved, getting this evidence to the authorities was the right thing to do. She agonized for a few weeks. Then 9/11 happened and Daria was so worried about Quinn in New York that she forgot about the package. Her concern for Quinn's safety turned out to be unfounded. Quinn was in class when the first plane hit. After that, the school went on lockdown to ensure everyones safety and Quinn had spent the rest of the day in the common room of her dorm with her face glued to the news like everyone else. After the attack, the campus quad was made into a disaster shelter and Quinn spent the next few days volunteering, providing comfort to traumatized victims of the event. In the midst of all this national turmoil it was easy for Daria to forget about the letters and tape, until now.

Now, she stared at the package and sighed. She'd already listened to her conscience once, taking the package so Sandi could let go of her hate and finally move on. Now, that same conscience was telling her to do something about the package. Finally, Daria decided.

* * *

 **The post office, five minutes later...**

Daria approached the counter with a package marked with the address of the Federal DA's office in Philadelphia. She had the package weighed and shipped out. After paying the postage she began the short walk back to her apartment.

 _You did the right thing_ She thought to herself. She began to have her trademark half-smile on her face. She had no idea that she had just signed Sandi's death warrant.

* * *

 **Lawndale, that evening...**

Linda Griffin has just entered her study. She goes to the urn where she kept the key to the safe-deposit box that she'd hidden the tape in. She gasped when she found that the key was missing. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed that the filing cabinet was flush against the wall. There should have been a six inch gap between the cabinet and the wall. Starting to panic, Linda sprinted over and started to look all over her study. Dread filled her as she realized the tape was gone.

At first she asked her husband, Tom, if he'd been in her study. He said he hadn't and she belived him. Next, she asked Sam. Sam said he wasn't in her study since that would've been lame. Linda knew her oldest son well enough to know he had zero interest in her study. It was the same thing with Chris. That left just one possiblity: Sandi.

Sandi was sitting in her room watching Fashion Vision when Linda violently burst in, startling her.

"Where is it?" Linda hissed coldly.

"Where's what?" Sandi asked haughtily.

"YOU KNOW GODDAMN WELL WHAT." Linda snapped, "You were in my study and stole the safe deposit box, didn't you? DIDN'T YOU?"

A feeling of dread fear filled Sandi at that moment.

"I...I don't know what you're talking about." she stammered, "I've never even gone into you're study and..."

Linda smacked Sandi with the back of her hand so hard that Sandi fell to the floor.

"DON'T YOU FUCKING LIE TO ME, YOU UNGRATEFUL LITTLE BITCH!"

Sandi stood up. As she did she tasted something warm and salty. She wiped her mouth and realized that her mother had smacked her hard enough to make her lip bleed. Her fear immediately gave way to rage. Sandi lunged at Linda, but Linda therw her to the floor. Sandi struggled as Linda put her in a chocke hold. Sandi struggled as Linda wrapped her left arm around her neck while repeatedly striking the back of her head with her right hand.

"STOP STRUGGLING, YOU WEAK INGRATE!" Linda shouted, "OR I'LL BREAK YOUR FUCKING NECK!"

With that, Linda locked her right arm behind Sandi's head and pressed forward while continuing to strangle Sandi with her left arm. Sandi now realized that her mother would keep squeezing until she felt something snap. Sandi immediately stopped her struggle. Linda released Sandi. Sandi could only watch in horror as Linda tore her room inside out, looking for the tape. When she didn't find it, she turned her attention back to her terrified daughter.

"What did you do with the tape?" Linda asked in a tone dripping with venom.

"I...I ddd...didn't take anything." Sand replied weakly.

Linda lunged at Sandi and began to strangle her.

"YOU LIE!"

Linda let Sandi go after smacking her face a few more times. Sandi's will is finally broken.

"I...I..." she said, "I went into your study over the summer. I was upset about the grounding and wanted to find some dirt that I could use as leverage. I...I found the safe deposit box and the key. I saw the tape and wanted to hand it over to the authorities, but I didn't. I...I wasn't sure what to do so I snuck away and asked Quinn's sister, Daria, for advice. She convinced me to give it to her and walk away from the whole thing. S-she has the tape."

Linda glared at her daughter with pure hatred.

"YOU DARE!"

Linda kicked Sandi in the gut so hard that it knocked the wind out of her. As she left Sandi curled up into a ball and started to cry.

* * *

 **Philadelphia International Airport, two hours later...**

John Mangano's car was in parking. Linda was in the passenger seat. She'd just told John what had happened. His face was hard as stone.

"If this is true.." he said, "You know what has to be done. Sandi has to be taken care of. If that tape hasn't fallen into the wrong hands yet, maybe Sandi's end will scare this Daria girl into silence. I have to. I'm sorry"

Linda sighed.

"I understand. Sandi's a disappointment. I don't even consider her my daughter anymore."

"I want you to pretend to forgive her." said John.

"What!?"

"Linda, if she thinks she's forgiven she'll let her guard down. It'll make my job easier."

"Good."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Carmine D'Amato had been stalking Sandi for a whole week. John had given the job to Nicky, who gave it to Carmine. A simple hit on a 20 year old college student. It had to be done in a way that wouldn't implicate any of them. So, Carmine followed Sandi for a week in order to learn her routine. He at first believed that the best move was to get her at home. He just had to wait until she was the only one in the house. The problem was that it almost never happened. Her father was always home, as were her brothers. There had to be a way to insure that Sandi was home alone one evening. Otherwise, Carmine would have to shoot her in broad daylight in front of witnesses. He casually drove his car by the Griffin house, wondering if there was a time when she would be alone in the house. If he could get the rest of the family away long enough he could go in and do the job and it would look like an attempted home invasion robbery. He could do it during the day but that would be uncharacteristic of a home invasion. Unless there was a reason for everyone to be away he wouldn't be able to pull this off. He drove to a diner and took a seat.

As Carmine drank his coffee he tried to think. If he couldn't get her at home then where could he get her. Just then, his cell phone rang.

"Hello" he said.

On the other end of the line was his capo, Nicky Corelli.

"Call me back on an outside line."

With that, both men hung up. Carmine paid for his coffee and left. He walked to a nearby phone booth and called Nicky back.

"Well," said Nicky, "How's it goin'? That thing with the bad kid?"

Carmine said "I'm havin' trouble finding an opportunity. She's never home alone and there are witnesses everywhere she goes."

Nicky said "That shit's unacceptable. The good looking guy wanted it done yesterday. Get it done."

With that, Nicky hung up. Carmine sighed as he realized he'd have to keep following Sandi until an opportunity presented itself.

* * *

 **A car dealership in Medford, MA...**

Francisco "Diamond Frank" Sorenti sat in his office at Sorenti motors. He was a man in his mid-forties with black hair that was slicked back. His garish fashion sense (including too much bling) had earned him the nickname "Diamond Frank". His car dealership was a decent front. He was known to the feds as the boss of the Patriano Crime Family. He maintained a good working relationship not only with all five of the New York Families but with the Scapelli Family in Philadelphia. He was on very good terms with the current boss of that family, John Mangano. His phone rang.

"Hello, Sorenti Motors." he said.

On the other end of the line, John Mangano said "Hey, Frank, it's John."

Frank's face lit up in a smile.

"Hey, Johnny. How ya been?"

"Doin' good."

"How're Camille and your little boys?"

John smiled proudly as he said "They're not so little anymore?"

"No shit." Frank replied, "Where does the time go?"

John now turned dead serious.

"Look, Frank, I'm ashamed to admit this isn't a social call. I need a small favor."

"Jonny, my friend, what can I do?"

"I need someone intimidated."

* * *

 **Philadelphia, the next day...**

Carmine was driving south on I-95. He'd just crossed the Betsy Ross Bridge out of New Jersey. He'd finished his recon in Lawndale. He now knew exactly how to get rid of this Sandi Griffin girl. It was such a simple solution that he quietly chided himself for not thinking of it sooner. He didn't have to kill Sandi himself. He would instead bring in a hired gun from out of the area. It would be less likely to lead back that way. He picked up his cell phone and dialed a number.

* * *

 **Highland, TX...**

Todd Ianuzzi was at burger world when he was approached by the two idiots who worked there.

"Huh-huh, Hey, Todd" said Butt-Head, "Can we, like, hang out. Huh-huh, That'd be cool."

"Yeah, hm-hm-heh." said Beavis, "We wanna be in your gang, heh-heh."

Todd immediately grabbed both of them by the throat.

"Listen, you little pukes," he said "If you keep annoying me I'm gonna stick both your heads up your asses."

"Ummm," said Beavis, "That could hurt."

Todd proceeded to throw both of them a savage beatdown and left them both bruised and bloodied on the floor.

"Huh-huh" said Butt-head, "Todd just, like, totally kicked our asses. Huh-huh, Cool."

"Yeah, heh-heh" said Beavis, "Todd rules."

Todd got into his muscle car and was about to drive off when his cell phone rang. He answered.

"Yeah?"

"Todd, it's Carmine D'Amato. I got a job for you."

"You know my rate, ten grand plus expenses."

"Deal. How fast can you be in Philly?"

* * *

 **Boston, evening...**

Daria and Jane were eating pizza at Colombino's on the North End. It was their new pizza joint and convienient as it was in the same building as their apartment.

"So," said Daria, "how are things with that Skids guy?"

Jane said "I dumped his ass. You should've heard some of the stuff he wanted to do."

"What happened to insane Jane Lane?" Daria asked rhetorically.

"Even I have my limits."

At this point Jane noticed two rough looking guys at a nearby table. They were glaring menacingly at her and Daria.

"Daria" said Jane, "those guys are looking at us."

Daria looked and noticed how menacing they seemed. She got nervous as one of them walked right up to her and Jane.

"You're Daria Morgendorffer, right?" he asked in a thick Boston accent.

"Do I know you?" Daria asked.

"No, but I know all about you."

Now, Daria was nervous.

The guy said "I know that you got an apartment in this building, I know you got a sister who's a freshman at ESU in New York, and..." he crowded Daria's personal space, "...I know some girl named Sandi Griffin gave you some incriminating evidence on certain people."

Daria was now more than a little rattled. Jane immediately went on the offensive.

"Hey," she said, "What are you getting at?"

"Nothin'" said the guy, "I just wanna talk some common sense. See, it may be tempting to give that stuff to the authorities. Problem with that is life's such a fragile thing. People can be hurt as a result of doin' what you think is the right thing."

"Are you threatening her?" Jane asked in a menacing tone.

"Me?" said the guy, "Oh, no, I'm just stating facts. Turinig in certain people can have consequinces. Daria here could be hurt by 'em. So could you. By the way, Jane, how's your brother, Trent? Last I heard he was in California."

Now Jane was rattled.

"You see..." the guy continued, "...these guys might decide to even the score by hurting both of you. And not just you. Let's say Trent were to die in a one in a million set of conditions. Or Quinn, suppose the evidence is turned in and let's say something happens to her. Muggings that go bad and lead to murder still happen in New York. Or she's killed by a drunk driver in a tragic accident. Or she's raped and murdered at some party." He turns his attention solely on Daria. "You could turn in that evidence and next thing you know bad things happen to you and the people you care about. Just a friendly warning. Think about it, awright."

With that, the guy left. Once he's gone Daria sees the other guy still sitting at the table. The second guy has an evil smile on his face. He points his finger at Daria and mimes a gun going off. He then gets up and leaves. Daria is now terrified.

"Okay" said Jane, "What was that about?"

* * *

Later, in the apartment, Daria told Jane everything.

"So" said Jane, "You didn't trust me enough to tell me this."

Daria said "It's not that, Jane. I didn't know what was in the package when Sandi gave it to me. I didn't tell you because I just wanted this all to go away. I thought we'd be safe if I mailed it to the DA anonymously. So much for that idea."

Jane decided to just let go of the fact that her best friend didn't trust her with something this big as there were now more pressing things on her mind.

"So, if you sent it anonymously, how'd they find out you even had it?"

Daria said "As far as I can tell, Mrs. Griffin must have discovered the tape and letters were missing and made Sandi fess up. They don't know that I already sent the package in but they'll find out when the indictments come out. I'm sorry."

Jane said "You did the right thing. You didn't know you were endangering all of our lives. Whatever happens, I've got your back."

"Thanks, Jane."

* * *

 **Philadelphia, three days later...**

Todd was at the waterfront under the Ben Franklin bridge meeting with Carmine. Carmine handed him a picture.

"This is her." said Carmine, "Her name's Sandi Griffin. She's a student at Carter Community College in New Jersey. Here's the deal: it has to look like an accident. Other than that, just see to it she's dead. Ten grand, plus expenses, all payable after you off her."

"Purdy little thing" Todd commented as he looked at the picture of Sandi, "Damn shame I can't do it with her first."

"As long as she dies, I don't care what you do. Just remember, it has to look like an accident."

"No problem, man. This got any timetable?"

"Boss wants this done ASAP."

* * *

 **Carter Community College, the following evening...**

Sandi Griffin had just gotten out of an evening class and was walking toward her car. She checked herself in the mirror and was pleased. Her makeup skills had successfully hiden the marks from her mothers beating of her two weeks earlier. Things had been surprisingly good since then. Linda had calmed down by the day after that horrific night and apologized. She also told Sandi that she wanted a better relationship going forward and agreed to accept her daughter as she is. The next two weeks saw what Sandi believed to be a genuine effort on Linda's part to build a better mother-daughter relationship. As for the evidence, Sandi apologized and claimed that she would tell Daria to burn it. She didn't follow through because she believed it was better if she didn't know the ultimate fate of the tape and letters. In the interests of improving her home life, however, she told Linda otherwise. As she unlocked and stepped into her car she didn't notice the green muscle car nearby or the guy with shaggy blond hair and stubble watching her from the drivers seat. As she drove out of the parking lot she failed to notice that the car was now following her.

Following close behind, Todd Ianuzzi was calculating his next move. He'd followed her from home and figured that was where she was going now. It was a 20 minute commute from Carter to Lawndale and this route was perfect for vehicular homicide. There was a long, steep embankment at the halfway point between Carter and Lawndale. If he timed it just right he could run her off the road and she'd tumble to her death. Since she drove a little yellow convertable while he drove a 400 horsepower beast it would be easy to push her over the guard rail.

Sandi reached the embankment and Todd pulled right next to her. He immediately slammed his car into her. Her fight or flight response made her try to push back, but his car was too powerful. She tried to outrun him but his car was too fast. Soon, he slammed into her car so hard that it went over the guardrail. Her car tumbled down the 35 degree embankment end over end. The doors flew off and landed far off. The car finally landed on it's roof at the bottom, crushing the convertable top and window frames.

Todd pulled up to where Sandi had gone over to confirm the kill. He shined a flashlight and was pleased. No way Sandi hadn't been crushed in the impact. Even if she was still alive she wouldn't last long. Next, Todd saw that the gas tank had sprung a leak in the tumble downhill. He decided to finish her off. He pulled a pack of Marlboro cigarettes and a lighter from his breast pocket. He lit one, took a few drags, then threw it directly at the puddle of fuel around the car. In a matter of seconds the gas tank caught fire and exploded.

"See you in Hell, bitch."

Todd got back in his own car and drove off. He'd now go to Philadelphia to collect his money then haul ass back to Texas. His job was done: Sandi Griffin was dead.

Or was she?


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

It was ironic given the slogan "Buckling Up Saves Lives" that not buckling up was what probably saved Sandi Griffin's life. When her car was tumbling down the embankment it lost both doors. In the next roll Sandi was flung out of the vehicle and landed thirty feet away from where it did. The impact knocked Sandi unconscious for a moment but she came to just in time to see her wrecked convertable burst into flames. As she heard the other car speed off into the night she tried to stand up. Once she was on her feet she discovered that while she could stand on both her legs she could only walk with her right leg. She limped a few steps before she fell back on the ground. She braced herself with her right arm and immediately yelped in pain.

Looking at her arm, Sandi noticed that the forearm had swollen to nearly three times its normal size. Bruises were also starting to form.

 _Well,_ she thought weakly, _at least it wasn't my leg this time._

She rolled over onto her good arm. As she did, she felt pain in the lower left side of her chest. She pulled her shirt up to have a look. Just beneath her left brest was swelling and bruises were starting to form. She pulled her shirt back down now knowing she not only had a broken arm but cracked ribs as well. She started to feel dizzy, a sign that she also had a concussion. Willing herself to remain concious she reached into her pocket and got out her cell phone. She dialed 911.

"911, emergency." said the operator.

"I...I was just in a bad car accident. My car went off the road at that embankment on county road 117 between Lawndale and...and..." the urge to pass out was getting stronger and she was having trouble thinking, "...I..I..hurt...bad..."

By the time the operator said "We're sending police and paramedics right away." Sandi was unconcious.

The next thing Sandi remembered was being on a stretcher in the ambulence. The paramedics had used ammonia to wake her back up. The paramedics knew a concussion when they saw it and were trying to keep Sandi awake by talking to her. She was taken to the ER at Lawndale General where she was stripped and examined. Afterwards, she was given a hospital gown and taken to a room. The examination had revealed her injuries to be the following: multiple torn ligaments in her left leg as well as a sprained knee and ankle, two cracked ribs on her left side, a fractured right forearm and a concussion. They wanted to keep her overnight for observation. When she was situated a police officer entered her room.

He introduced himself as "Officer Hartman, Lawndale Police Department. If you're up to it, I'd like to ask a few questions about the accident."

"Okay." Sandi replied.

"Can you tell me what happened?"

Sandi said "I was on my way home when this car ran me off the road."

"Where was this?"

"On county road 117. It was at that steep hill between Carter and Lawndale."

"Can you describe the other vehicle?"

"It was some kind of modified muscle car. It was green, I think. That's all I remember."

Officer Hartman nodded and turned on his walkie-talkie, "Dispacth, Officer Hartman, shield number 81735. I need a region wide APB on a green muscle car with obvious racing modifications. Suspect vehicle involved in hit and run traffic accident."

Later, Sandi's family arrived. Her father was horrified by what happened to her while her brothers could only stare in shock. Her mother, on the other hand, seemed surprisingly indifferent. The look on Linda's face seemed to be a mix of indifference and disappointment. Sandi told them her story.

* * *

The next day, Sandi's cell phone rang around 7:00am and she answered.

"OHMYGOD! OHMYGOD! OHMYGOD!" came Stacy's frantic voice on the other end.

Sandi said "Calm down, Stacy. Breathe."

Stacy calmed down.

"Sorry" she said, "I just heard what happened on the radio. Are you alright?"

Sandi said "I'm fine, Stacy. I just have a broken arm and some cracked ribs."

For the next few minutes Sandi reassured a terrified Stacy. For her part, Stacy said nothing about the threatening encounter she'd had over the summer. She knew to keep her mouth shut about that. Soon, she hung up. A moment later Sandi's cell phone rang again. As before, Sandi answered.

"Hello."

"Sandi, thank God you're alright!" came Quinn's relieved voice.

* * *

 **Boston...**

It was evening and Daria was watching Sick, Sad World with Jane in the apartment they share. The doorbell rings and Jane gets up to answer. Standing outside is a blond haired man in a suit.

"Are you Daria Morgendorffer?" the man asked.

"Who are you?" Jane asked in return.

"Lester Samson, court clerk." He shows Jane his credentials. "I have a summons for Miss Daria Morgendorffer."

"Daria, it's for you."

Daria walks up to the door.

"What's this about?" she asked.

The clerk said "I have a summons for you to appear in Federal Court in Philadelphia. May I see some identification?"

Daria retrieved her drivers license and showed it to the clerk. He gave her the summons and had her sign for it. Afterwards, he left. Daria read the summons.

"I've been called to testify before a federal grand jury."

* * *

 **Lawndale, NJ...**

Helen Morgendorffer is in her office pouring over a mountain of legal briefs. It was better than going home and listening to her husband whine and complain. With both her daughters now in college she'd devoted herself entirely to her goal of making partner at her law firm. She was now putting in 90 hour weeks. Because of this Jake was growing ever more resentful as he now felt abandoned. He threw himself into his work as a consultant. The upside to this was that Morgendorffer Consulting was starting to make money more consistently. The downside was that he was drinking alot more and eating more junk food. Helen couldn't remember the last conversation with Jake that wasn't an argument. She'd even slept in the office some nights just to avoid putting up with him. When she was home she made Jake sleep on the couch. Suddenly, her phone rang.

"Hello, Helen Morgendorffer."

"Hey, Mom" said Daria on the other end.

"Daria, how are you?"

"I need legal counsel. I've been summoned to testify before a grand jury in Philadelphia."

Helen was now very interested.

"Go on."

Daria said "It has to do with that whole Ultra-Cola mess during my senior year. The grand jury want to hear my testimony of that and the possible involvement of John Mangano in a related matter."

Helen frowned. She knew she'd have to essentially throw her own daughter to the wolves.

"Daria, I'm sorry, but I can't help you."

Daria felt like she'd been stabbed in the gut.

"Why? I need you now more than ever and you don't want to help me."

"It's not that I don't want to" Helen explained, "I can't help you. Mr. Mangano is one of Eric's clients. This makes him my client by extension because Eric is my immediate superior. The ethics are clear, helping you would be a conflict of interest."

"I see" said Daria, "Can you recommend someone else?"

Helen frowned. Now came the really hard part.

"My contract with the firm forbids me helping you in any way. I'm afraid you're on your own in this matter."

Daria grimmaced. She soon became angry.

"Thanks for nothing, Mom."

Daria hung up. Helen let out a sigh as she hung up.

 _I'd better tell Eric the bad news._

* * *

 **Philadelphia, the next day...**

John Mangano was at his opulent house in the upscale Chestnut Hill neighborhood. He was eating breakfast when his wife, Camille, walked by. Camille Mangano (nee D'Avianco) was a 38 year old raven haired beauty. She knew her husband was a mobster but loved him anyway. They'd grown up in the same South Philly neighborhood and married young. Now she lived in a mansion in the wealthiest neighborhood in the city. She even knew that he saw other women on the side. That bothered her but she had long since concluded that asking any man to be faithful was asking too much. She accepted his philandering (as long as he was discreet) while remaining devoted to him and their two sons who were both now varsity atheletes and straight-A students.

"I'm off to the gym, sweetheart." she said as she blew a kiss to her husband.

"Awright" said John, "Have a nice workout."

No sooner had she left when John's cell phone rang. He picked it up.

"Hello."

"John, it's Eric Schrecter. I've got some bad news. I can no longer represent you."

John lost it.

"What the Fuck!?" he exclaimed.

Eric said "Look, a federal grand jury is preparing indictments. They need the testimony of one Daria Morgendorffer. Her mother is one of my associates. I can't help you due to ethics."

John was furious.

* * *

 **Boston, afternoon...**

Daria was at the campus of Raft College. Her last class of the day had just let out. She walked to the nearest bus stop to take the bus back to her apartment. As she sat and waited, she was approached by the same guy who'd threatened her at the pizza place.

"Hey, Daria" he said "Glad I ran into ya. We gotta talk."

Before Daria could even think of running, a black Cadallac with tinted windows screeched to a stop right in front of them. Two more guys stepped out.

"Get in the car." said the first guy.

Nervous, Daria replied "If I don't?"

The guy pulled his jacket to show Daria the gun he had on him.

"I wasn't askin'. Be a shame if I had to gun you down right here and now. Get in."

Daria had no choice. She knew they'd kill her if she didn't get into the car.

* * *

 **Later...**

Daria Morgendorffer was terrified. She'd been kidnapped right off of the street and was now seated in an abandoned warehouse in a rough part of town. There was an empty chair in front of her while her kidnappers stood all around. The leader took a seat in front of her.

He said "I thought I warned you what would happen if you sent that evidence in. Word is a court guy served you a subpena. Did you fuck with me?"

"No" said a visibly frightened Daria.

The ring leader stood up, drew his gun, and shoved it right in her face.

"DON'T YOU FUCKIN' LIE TO ME, YOU FUCKIN' FOUR EYED -!"

"I'M NOT" Daria screamed.

The man holstered his pistol and sat back down.

"Why'd you get called in, then?" he asked.

Daria knew she had to keep her head on. These men would certainly kill her if she said the wrong thing. Daria took a deep breath to calm herself.

"Look" she said, "The investigation is an advertising scandal at my old high school. I was the one who brought it to the superintendents attention. I was subpeonaed because of that. I didn't know what I was getting myself into at the time. I never would've gotten involved otherwise."

"What about the letters and tape?"

Daria was nervous again. She'd hoped they wouldn't ask about that. She knew that the smart play would be to lie.

"I destroyed them after our first little conversation. I just wanted this all to be over. I didn't expect to be dragged in again."

The lead kidnapper looked her over. Daria's ability to keep a straight face at all times actually paid off. So did the fact that she lived in a crime infested Texas town until she was fifteen. She knew how to lie convincingly. They bought her story.

"Awright" said the lead kidnapper, "Here's how it's gonna go. You don't say nothin' about John Mangano or the tape. You do that then we got no problem. You don't, you and everyone you care about is dead."

Daria nodded in agreement.

* * *

An hour later, Daria was shoved out of the black Cadallac in the alley behind her apartment.

"By the way, sorry about Jane." said the kidnapper before he and his buddies took off. Fearing that her friend was already dead, Daria ran into the building.

 _No,_ she thought, _Those monsters killed Jane._

She ran up to the apartment and frantically opened the doos. Inside was Jane...painting.

"Thank God" said Daria as she ran up to Jane and frantically hugged her.

"What's going on?" Jane asked.

Daria proceeded to explain. After the explanation..

"Damn" said Jane "You thought I was dead."

"I guess they wanted to give me one last scare."

* * *

 **The Griffin house, the following afternoon...**

Sandi was in the living room watching TV. She heard the doorbell ring. She got up to answer. Her arm was in a cast and she needed a cane in order to walk. Through the peep hole she saw two men in black suits and sunglasses. Nervous, she opened the door.

"Yes."

The two held out FBI ID's.

"Agent Sullivan" said the first man, "This is my partner, agent Bettis, FBI."

"What's this about?" Sandi asked.

Sullivan said "We'd like you to come with us. It's important."

"If I say no?"

"Then you said no" said Bettis, "You don't have to come in, but you should. There's something we need to show you."

* * *

 **FBI building, Philadelphia, one hour later...**

The agents and Sandi are in a conference room. On the table are two tape recorders.

Sullivan said "The recordings you're about to hear are from bugs placed in John Mangano's car and his penthouse in Atlantic City."

Bettis added "We should warn you, some of this may be hard to take."

With that, Sullivan pressed play on the player marked "Penthouse". Sandi felt like vomiting as she heard the sound of her mother having sex with a man who clearly wasn't her father. After the sex, she heard...

 **Linda:** My God, John, you're the best I ever had.

 **John:** Even better than your husband?

 **Linda:** That spineless wimp? A eunich would be better than him. No one compares to a stud like you, my Italian Stallion.

Sandi was sick from hearing her mother cheat on her father and talk disparagingly about him afterward. Sullivan stopped the tape.

"This affair has been going on for a few years now." he explained, "We were never able to catch evidence of criminal activity at the penthouse, but these tapes can still be used as character evidence. And this isn't even the worst thing your mother has done to her family."

Sullivan pressed play on the player marked "Car".

 **Linda:** We have a problem. My ungrateful bitch of a daughter stole the security tape. She mailed it to her friend's sister in Boston.

 **John:** What's her name?

 **Linda:** Daria Morgendorffer, her sister and Sandi were classmates in high school. Her sister goes to college in New York.

 **John:** If this is true, You know what has to be done. Sandi has to be taken care of. If that tape hasn't fallen into the wrong hands yet, maybe Sandi's end will scare this Daria girl into silence. I have to. I'm sorry.

 **Linda:** I understand. Sandi's a disappointment. I don't even consider her my daughter anymore.

 **John:** I want you to pretend to forgive her.

 **Linda:** What!?

 **John:** Linda, if she thinks she's forgiven she'll let her guard down. It'll make my job easier.

 **Linda:** Good.

 **John:** You sure you're okay with this.

 **Linda:** She won't be missed. I'm ashamed I even gave birth to her.

At this point, Sullivan stopped the tape.

"Some woman" he said, "Cheats on her husband of 22 years and wants her own daughter dead."

Sandi sat there with a look of pure shock on her face. Her lower lip shook as a tear raced down her cheek. The recent turn for the better in her relationship with her mom was a lie.

 _She wanted him to kill me,_ Sandi thought _My own mother tried to kill me._

All the pain, the hurt, the anger and the sense of betrayal boiled in Sandi. It all raced to her mouth and finally came out in a high-pitched, anguished..

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Sandi Griffin was jumpy and on edge. After hearing the tapes of her mother and John Mangano having an affair and plotting her own murder she was livid. It was the ultimate betrayal. The agents wanted her to testify at both the grand jury hearing and, after the inevitable indictment, the trial. Sandi was offered witness protection. She said she had to think about it. She had her purse and ATM card with her so she went to the nearest bank and withdrew $200.00. Next, she went to a nearby clothing store and bought a hoodie and sunglasses. Using this as a makeshift disguise she made her way to Reading Terminal Station, looking over her shoulder the whole time. Once at the station, she approached the ticket counter.

"One please." She said.

"Destination?" asked the booth operator.

"Penn Station, New York City."

She paid for the ticket and went to the platform. She chose a seat that was against the wall with a clear view of the exits. If anyone came for her she'd see it. She just hoped she'd see it in time to get away. She wished she had a gun. She breathed a huge sigh of relief when she saw several uniformed cops walking the station. Since 9/11 the police had signifigantlly increased their visible presence. As she calmed down Sandi realized that mob assassins would not be so brazen as to attack her in a crowded train station. She still did not feel entierly safe until she was on the train.

* * *

 **Griffin house, evening...**

"Where's Sandi?" Linda asked Tom.

Tom said "I haven't seen her since I left for work this morning."

Irritated, Linda said "Did you bother to check her room when you got back?"

"No."

Linda immediately smacked her husband upside the head.

"You useless flake! Now I have to file a missing persons report."

Tom said "Linda, I'm sure she's fine. She probably went out with some friends and just didn't tell us."

Linda calmed down. She thought maybe a second hit attempt had succeded. She smiled as she believed the biggest thorn in her side was gone. Later, in her study, she had a different feeling: guilt. It felt weird that she had callously allowed her adulterous lover to put out a contract on her own daughter. _Be strong_ she told herself as she remembered that she was less likely to wind up in jail if Sandi was dead. _In jail,_ Linda thought as she successfully repressed her maternal side. She focused on how Sandi wanted to turn in her own mother: _Ungrateful bitch._

* * *

 **Lower Manhattan, evening...**

In her dorm at ECU, Quinn was studying. The door opened and her roommate came in. Nicole Yagami was a beautiful, bright asian girl with a little spunk and a very non-conformist personality. The two of them actually got along well and became best friends very quickly.

"How was the date?" Quinn asked.

"Terrible." said Nicole, "He actually asked me if it's true that asian girls think all white guys are hung."

"Oh my God, he didn't! What a perv."

"That's what I told him after throwing my drink in his face."

Both girls giggled. There was a knock on the door. Quinn got up to answer. She was stunned when she saw who it was.

"Sandi!"

"Hey, Quinn" said Sandi, "Can I come in?"

"Of course."

Quinn let Sandi in and closed the door behind her.

"Nicole" said Quinn, "this is my friend from high school: Sandi Griffin. Sandi, my roommate: Nicole Yagami."

"Hey" said Sandi.

"Hi" said Nicole, "What's with the busted arm and cane?"

"Car accident."

"So" said Nicole, "You're the famous Sandi Griffin, President of the Fashion Club." She looks at the hoodie, "You'll excuse my saying this, but I pictured you wearing designer clothes, not a cheap hoodie."

Quinn gives Nicole a mean look.

"Just saying."

"It's a disguise." Sandi explained.

"Nicole" said Quinn, "Can I talk to you alone for a minute?"

Quinn and Nicole went to the door. Once they were in the hallway Quinn spoke.

"What's with you? That was rude."

"I'm sorry" said Nicole, "But she reminds me of the kind of people who made my high school experience a living hell. You said she was like that."

"The key word being _was._ She's not like that anymore. She's been trying to change since she nearly drove us all away with her attitude."

"I remember that story."

Nicole now looks sheepish.

"I guess I was a little harsh. I'll cut her some slack."

"Thanks."

With that, they both went back into the dorm room.

"Sorry I got on your case, Sandi." said Nicole.

"It's alright" said Sandi, "I guess I do look like Hell." Sandi looks at Quinn, "I came here because I need help and didn't know where else to go."

Quinn is now visibly concerned.

"Sandi, what's wrong?"

"That car accident wasn't an accident."

Quinn and Nicole's jaws both drop.

* * *

 **Medford, MA...**

Frank Sorenti is in his office on the phone with John Mangano.

"Sorry, John" said Frank, "But I'm not whacking a college student."

"Why the fuck not?" John asked coldly.

"Look, with the focus on terrorism the feds are finally leaving us alone. College students start getting rubbed out, though, and it's another story."

"So, I gotta take the fall?"

"Look, I got her good and scared as a favor to you. I don't wanna rock the boat. You want this Daria girl dead, do it yourself."

With that, Frank hung up.

* * *

 **A payphone in Philadelphia...**

"FUCK!" said John as he hung up.

John went to his car and drove back to his restaurant. Once there, he went into the office. His consiglieri, Dominic, was waiting for him. John took a seat at his desk.

"That fat fuck, Louie, sweep the place for bugs?" asked John.

Dominic said "Place is clean. What's up?"

"We got a problem, Dom. I just got off the phone with Frank in Boston. He told me Daria destroyed the tape. I wanted her taken care of so I could get back Schrecter as an attorney and he refused. She's gonna tell a grand jury what she knows. Not only that, but Linda told me that Sandi's disappeared. What am I gonna do now?"

Dominic thought carefully and deliberately. He had to come up with something. The facts were that Daria was being subpeonaed by the feds, the tape was destroyed but Sandi was missing. Dominic assumed this was her co-operating with the feds and being hidden for her protection. It all added up to one thing: indictments were coming and John was screwed no matter what.

"John" said Dominic, "I think we're beat. We should focus on getting you off. If Daria is killed it'll create a stink. We can't even get to Sandi."

John pounded his fist on the desk and screamed "SO WE JUST FUCKIN' GIVE UP!?"

"No, I didn't say that. The problem isn't Sandi or Daria, the problem is all the people who were directly involved in this sceme with the school. Any one of them knows enough to bring us down and any one of them could flip to avoid serious time."

Now, John was very interested in what Dominic had to say.

"Go on."

* * *

 **Quinn and Nicole's dorm, New York...**

Quinn gasped in horror while Nicole listened with morbid curiosity.

"Sandi" said Quinn, "That's terrible. What kind of psycho bitch wants her own daughter killed? I knew your mom was a lousy person, but damn."

"I know" Sandi sighed, "I ran and came here because I'm scared and I don't know what to do."

"What are your options?" asked Nicole.

"I can testify against my mother and everyone else before the grand jury and at trial. I'd have to go into witness protection if I did that. I could keep running away and live life on the lamb. I don't wanna do that, and if I go into witness protection I'd never see any of my friends ever again."

Nicole said "What's wrong with making new friends?"

"I can't. The same thing that made me queen bee in high school doesn't work in college. I need the support of people I already know. I'd be alone."

Quinn was very sad to hear this. It was then that she remembered something: her mom's a lawyer.

"Hold on" said Quinn, "I need to make a quick call."

Quinn called Helen.

"Mom" she said, "It's Quinn. I'm having a debate with my roomate. She says the witness protection program is mandatory but I always thought it was voluntary. I figured since you're a lawyer you could tell me which of us is right."

Quinn listened intently as her mother explained in detail. Nicole stared on with curiosity while Sandi sat nervously. Finally...

"Thanks for clearing that up."

Quinn hung up and quietly praised herself for not getting rusty in her ability to manipulate her parents.

"Good news, Sandi" she said, "witness protection is only mandatory for people who are at high risk of being killed. Even then, it's only mandatory until the trial's over. It's voluntary after that. You can testify and be protected, after the trial you can opt out."

Sandi's eyes lit up as she heard this.

Quinn continued "But, if a cooperating witness opts out it's still a good idea to leave the area."

Sandi thought about this. She realized that she could finally be free. No more Linda, no more fear and insecurity. She could be protected and then opt out of witness protection. She'd have to leave Lawndale for good, but there was nothing left there for her. Quinn was in New York, Stacy in New Brunswick and Tiffany in LA. After this was over, she could get in touch with one of them and maybe they could help.

"Quinn" said Sandi, "If I were to move to New York would you help me get settled. I'd need to get a job and find a place to live."

"Of course I'll help. That's what friends do."

Sandi was moved to tears by what Quinn said. She immediately threw her arms around Quinn and the two friends shared a hug.

"Oh, thank you, Quinn. You're the best friend I've ever had."

As the hug continued Sandi had an epiphany. She used to wonder why Quinn was more popular than her. They were equal in looks and status, so Sandi had wondered what Quinn had that she didn't. Now she knew.

 _She cares,_ Sandi thought _she cares about other people and they respond to that. I've only ever cared about myself, but Quinn cares about other people. When she stopped shunning her sister she was forgiven almost immediately because she was genuinely sorry._

* * *

 **Philadelphia, a few days later...**

Some kids were playing stickball in an alley when one of them noticed a green muscle car parked nearby. He walked up to it.

 **Music montage:** Piano portion of "Layla" by Eric Clapton.

The kid saw the inside of the car. Inside was Todd Ianuzzi, sitting in the drivers seat. His throat had been slit.

At the Philadelphia waterfront, a garbage truck was dumping the garbage onto a barge. One of the garbage men noticed something and told the truck operator to stop. That something was the corpse of Diane Bennet, who'd handled the books for the school kickback scheme.

At the beach at Cape May, NJ, a couple was having a romantic stroll when they noticed something washed ashore. That something was the bullet ridden corpse of Leonard Lamm.

At a meatpacking plant in Philadelphia the workers found something in the freezer among the frozen sides of beef. That something was the frozen corpse of Angela Li, hanging off of a meathook. She was frozen so stiff that it took two days to thaw her out for the autopsy.

John Mangano was severing all ties with Lawndale High. Everyone involved in the kickback scheme was eliminated. He couldn't risk any of them talking. No, he'd rather have them whacked.

Linda Griffin was taking a shower. She'd just spent another night in bed with her so-called drip of a husband. Sam and Chris had each spent the night at a friends house so that she could deflect suspicion of her affair by giving Tom some obligatory sex. She heard the bathroom door open and was annoyed.

"Tom, I really don't feel up to this right now."

No answer.

"Tom?"

Still no answer, Linda opened the shower door and was horrified to see Carmine there with a silenced 9mm in his hand. She screamed and shoved her way past him. As she ran he chased after her. She was running for the front door, too in fear for her life to care that she was naked. She tripped over something. She screamed when she realized it was Tom, dead from a single shot to the back of the head. As she stood back up Carmine caught up to her and smacked her across the face with the butt of his gun. When she tried to stand back up he knocked her back down and shot her in the knee. Linda could only stare up in fear as Carmine aimed the gun at her head.

"Do you know who I am?" she asked.

Carmine said "Yeah, you're John's comare."

Linda said "You think he'd be okay with you killing me?"

"He's the one who ordered it."

Linda gasped in horror. Her lover wanted her dead.

"See you in Hell, bitch." Carmine said as he pulled the trigger.

The barely audible _thwip_ as the gun fired was the last thing she ever heard. The bullet striking her right between the eyes was the last thing she ever felt. Thus ended the life of Linda Griffin.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

 **New York...**

Sandi had spent the night in Quinn's dorm room at ECU. Quinn offered the bed but Sandi insisted that a sleeping beg on the floor would be fine. The next morning, Sandi was wishing she'd planned this better. After hearing the FBI tapes she just freaked and made a run for it. She came to Quinn out of desperate need for the advice and the support of a friend. Now, she was without a change of clothes, no makeup or toiletries. Quinn went to a drug store near campus to get Sandi soap, toothpaste and a toothbrush. The next inconvienence was the fact that there were only two bathrooms per floor, one for guys and one for girls. It was like gym class back in high school and just as potentially embarrassing. The FBI agents who'd played the tapes of John and Linda had also given Sandi their card. Sandi decided to give them a call.

"This is Sandi Griffin. I need to come in and talk to you guys."

* * *

 **Philadelphia...**

Sandi took the train back to Philadelphia and was escorted by agents Sullivan and Bettis back to the branch office. Once there, they sat down to discuss things.

Sullivan said "We want you to testify before the grand jury so we can get an indictment. We played those tapes so you'd be more inclined to testify against your own mother."

"Am I still in danger?" Sandi asked.

Bettis answered "Most likely, yes. You'd be in protective custody until you testify before the grand jury if there's no indictment. If there is an indictment then we keep you in protective custody until you testify at trial. After that, you can either go into the witness relocation program or opt to take your chances. We strongly recommend you do the former."

The gears in Sandi's head started started to turn. She knew that she'd be safer in the witness relocation with a new identity. The problem was that she would never be able to again have contact with anyone from her old life. She could opt out, and be hunted down.

"If I opt out of witness relocation" she said, "then how can I best increase my chances of survival."

Sullivan said "Best thing would be to leave the Philadelphia area. That would work if you went to a place out of reach of Scapelli family allies. In any event, any course of action that has you no longer in the greater Philadelphia area would increase your chances of survival."

Sandi said "I'll testify and accept protected custody, but I'll take my chances and opt out of relocation."

"You sure?" asked a concerned Bettis.

Sandi gave him a look that could only be considered adamant determination.

* * *

 **November, 2001...**

It had been a bloody week. Five murders, all of people being investigated by the feds. It was speculated that this was in connection to the Lawndale High money laundering scandal. FBI agent Melissa Holman was at Quantico, VA keeping Sandi Griffin company. At first she'd been a little put off at being assigned as liason to a 20 year old who reminded her of the girls who'd tormented her in high school. She warmed up as she realized that Sandi had been through hell and then some. The phone rang and Holman answered.

"Hello...I see...I'll tell her...yeah, I know."

With that, Holman hung up.

"Miss Griffin." she said.

"Yes." Sandi replied.

With sorrow in her eyes, Holman said "I'm afraid I have some bad news. Your parents were both murdered in their home last night."

Sandi froze in shock and horror. She had little sympathy for her mother at this point but to hear that her father had been killed too was simply gut wrenching. Her thoughts immediately turned to her brothers. What if they were dead too?

"My brothers?" she asked.

Holman said "Neither of them were home when it happened. They've been sent to live with your aunt in Illinois. Poor guys."

Sandi thought of her aunt who was also godmother to her and her brothers. They were now orphans. Sandi was now wondering if she should opt for witness relocation after all. She then thought of what that would mean. Unlike her brothers, she'd never had a good relationship with her mom's sister. This meant that for all intents and purposes, Quinn and Stacy were now the only family she had. She wouldn't lose them too. She was glad that her appearence before the grand jury was tomorrow, as was Daria's. She could talk to her then.

* * *

 **Friday, November 2, 2001...**

It was Daria Morgendorffer's birthday, but she felt no cause for celebration. On this day in 1984, baby Quinn blew out the candles before she could. On this day in 1992 she found herself for the first time face to face with those two morons in Highland. In 1997, it was the first birthday that she had a real friend to celebrate with. On her 18th, she celebrated with her first boyfriend. Now, she was spending her 20th birthday testifying before a grand jury. The DA's office was represented by ADA Andrew Larson. Mr. Larson was an unassuming man with light brown hair that was starting to gray at the temples.

"State your name and date of birth for the record, please." he said.

"Daria Ann Morgendorffer, November 2, 1981."

"Thank you. And happy birthday."

Daria said nothing. Larson let it slide.

"Miss Morgendorffer" he said, "could you please explain how you came to be involved in this case?"

"During my senior year of high school there was a budget crunch at the school. Ms. Li announced during the final class period on friday that there was to be a meeting on sunday in the school auditorium, during the superbowl. It seemed that she was up to something fishy, so my best friend and I went to the meeting. I raised my objections to the Ultra-Cola endorsement deal proposed by Mr. Leonard Lamm and was immediately shot down. A week later, I went to the office of Superintendant Courtwright and told him of my concerns."

"And how did he react?" asked Larson.

Daria said "He was initially dismissive. In fact, he was considering a similar deal for every school in the county. Despite this, he decided to visit the school. This occured just as Ms. Li was having a nervous breakdown over her inability to honor the contract."

"What happened after that?"

"The contract was renegotiated. At the time, I thought the nightmare was over. That's what I get for being optimistic."

Some of the grand jury stifled a giggle at Daria's sarcastic remark.

Larson asked "What happened next regarding your connection to this case?"

Daria said "While visiting home last August, I was approached by Sandi Griffin. She gave me a package. She said that it contained dirt on her mother. She was unsure what to do with it. I told her to give it to me and ask no questions."

"Why did you do that?"

"I saw that Sandi and her mother were getting into a vicious cycle of hurting each other. While I've no love for Sandi, I saw an opportunity to help her break out of that vicious cycle. I took the package because I was compelled by conscience."

"What happened next?"

"Out of curiosity I opened the package. It contained two letters written by Mrs. Griffin that implicated herself, Mr. Lamm and Ms. Li."

Larson held up the copies and asked "Are these the letters?"

"Yes."

"Let the record show that Miss Morgendorffer has identified the two pieces of correspondence that are evidence. Was there anything else in the package?"

Daria said "Yes, a videotape. It was security footage of Ms. Li's office. It showed her meeting with Mr. Lamm and Mrs. Griffin, as well as Mr. John Mangano."

"What were they discussing in the tape?"

"It was a kickback scheme. The school would accept sponsorships from multiple companies in which Mr. Mangano was a silent partner. It was also agreed that school resources could be used to launder money for Mr. Mangano. In exchange for the latter, Mr. Mangano offered payoffs to Ms. Li, Mr. Lamm and Mrs. Griffin."

"What did you do with this evidence?" asked Larson.

Daria said "At first, I held on to it while I decided what to do. Finally, in October I mailed it to the federal DA's office anonymously."

"Why'd you wait almost two months?"

"I was unsure if I wanted to be involved. I eventually forgot that I had it. When I remembered I mailed it because it seemed like the right thing to do. I thought that by doing so anonymously I could avoid placing myself in any danger. I was dealing with evidence against a reputed mobster, after all. I still don't know how the office found out I was the one who sent it in."

"No further questions. You're excused."

"Thank you."

With that, Daria left the stand.

Larson said "Next witness. I summon Miss Sandra Griffin to the stand."

Sandi entered the courtroom and took the witness stand.

"State your name and date of birth for the record."

Sandi said "Sandra Denise Griffin, September 21, 1981."

Larson said "Explain how you became involved in this case, please."

Sandi proceeded to tell her side of the story. The grand jury was particularly stunned by the attempt on her life and her mothers role in the affair. After that, Larson played the FBI tapes and the security video for the grand jury.

* * *

 **Later, in the hallway...**

Sandi approached Daria.

"Um, Daria, can I talk to you?"

Daria asked "About?"

"What happens to us."

Daria said "What do you mean?"

Sandi asked "Were you offered witness protection?"

Daria said "No, when I arrived in Lawndale I was approached by FBI agents who told me I was no longer in danger. The failed attempt to scare me into silence and lying under oath was as far as the mob was willing to go, apparently."

Sandi now looked hopeful.

Daria thought _Now for the hard part._

"Sandi, I have to burst your bubble. They won't kill me but I've read enough true crime novels to know that you won't get that same courtesy."

Sandi asked "What do I do? To stay alive I'd have to turn away from the only family I have left."

Daria is skeptical.

"Since when to you consider Quinn family?"

Sandi said "Since I realized just how much of a real friend she actually is. She helped me lose weight after I broke my leg. After our falling out last year I spent month alone, rethinking my life. I was a heartless bitch in high school. I resolved to make amends. When I apologized to Quinn she welcomed me back with open arms. Even Jane has forgiven me for turning on her in middle school. I've come to realize just how important my closest friends are to me. Now, I'm losing all of that."

Daria asked "Why don't you make new friends?"

"I can't. I'm just not able to navigate the social environment in college or the real world. It's just too different from high school."

Daria now feels bad for Sandi.

 _She was starting to turn over a new leaf and it all blew up in her face._

Daria said "My best advice is that you opt out of the program but stay away from the Philadelphia area, including Lawndale. Believe it or not, Quinn will help you if you go to New York City. From what the FBI agents told me the only danger is in Scapelli family territory. It seems that the other families consider this none of their business and will just let John Mangano clean up his own mess."

Sandi smiled. She now knew how to survive without going into witness protection.

"Thanks, Daria."

She was about to leave when she remembers another question she wants to ask.

"Um, Daria."

"Yes?"

"Why did you help me?"

Daria said "It was the right thing to do?"

Sandi said "But to you I'm a shallow, air headed bitch. Why didn't you just tell me to piss off?"

Daria said "Because I saw you trying to change for the better. I felt it was best to help you along. I know it sounds weird coming from me, but..."

"Everything sounds weird coming from you."

"Walked right into that one. It sounds weird because I'm generally a very cynical person but no one is beyond redemption. All I did was give you a slight nudge in the right direction."

Sandi smiled.

"Daria."

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

Sandi actually hugs Daria.

* * *

 **The next day...**

John Mangano was at his Chestnut Hill mansion having dinner with his wife and kids when the doorbell rang. He got up to answer it and was immediately surrounded by FBI agents.

"John Mangano" said one of the agents, "You're under arrest for murder, attempted murder, conspiracy, bribery and money laundering."

They slapped the handcuffs on him and read him his rights. He spent the night in lock up before posting a $2 million dollar bond.

* * *

 **The office of John Melvern, Attorney at Law...**

John Melvern was a balding 60 year old man and seasoned criminal attorney. He'd been hired by Mangano after Eric was forced to remove himself from the case. He was meeting with John Mangano to discuss the charges against him.

"Mr. Mangano" he said, "I can get you off on all of the murder charges. The attempted murder charge is tricky due to the audio evidence, but the language is vague enough for reasonable doubt. The problem is the bribery and money laundering charges. I'm afraid they have you dead to rights there."

John asked "So, what am I lookin' at?"

"Fifteen years unless we cut a deal."

John lost his shit.

"Are you fuckin' shitting me!? Fifteen years, son of a bitch!"

Melvern was a seasoned enough criminal lawyer to not be scared by John's tirade.

"Look" he said, "The law has to prove your guilt beyond a reasonable doubt and I'm the best there is at raising that doubt. The problem is that there is solid written, audio and visual evidence of you committing bribery and money laundering. That plus two witnesses who'll no doubt testify against you makes it impossible for me to convince a jury that you were just shooting the breeze with friends."

"SONOFABITCH!" John shouted.

John took a few deep breathes and calmed down.

"What are my options?"

Melvern said "One: you plead not guilty and take your chances standing trial for the whole indictment. That one will probably get you fifteen to life because you will most likely be found guilty of all but the murder charges. Two: I cut a deal that gets you out of the murder charges and maybe lands you a reduced sentence on the bribery and money laundering."

John thought it over. He knew he was doomed. He could get off on the murder and attempted murder charges but the bribery and money laundering were airtight. As long as he didn't have to admit to any mafia or testify against his buddies he could live with that. He was glad that he'd taken care of his co-conspiritors, otherwise he would be completely screwed.

"Make a deal."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Melvern came to the feds with an offer: John would plead guilty to bribery and money laundering in exchange for the murder charges being dropped. At first, the DA was unwilling. Melvern pointed out all of the holes in the evidence for murder. Upon realizing that the murder charges wouldn't stick, the DA accepted the deal and John Mangano was sentenced to 10 years. In his absence, Fat Louie was to run the Scapelli family. His ineptitude soon became apparent, however, and the family fell into disarray. Without the need for a trial, there was no reason to keep Sandi in protective custody. Despite this, she was kept at Quantico until May just to be safe.

* * *

 **May, 2002...**

Quinn Morgendorffer was back in her old room in Lawndale. She'd just completed her first year of college and was home for the summer. It had been an interesting year. Her roommate, Nicole, was one of her closest friends. She even had a steady boyfriend now. Trevor Anderson was an interesting guy. He was both a brain and a jock. He was the quarterback of the ECU Eagles. He was dark haired and handsome. They'd met at a party and hit it off immediately. Now they were a steady couple. Quinn was shaken out of her thoughts by the ring of the doorbell.

She opened the front door and was surprised to see...

"Sandi."

"Hey, Quinn" said Sandi, "Can I come in?"

Noticing the large suitcase Sandi had with her, Quinn said "Of course."

Sandi did not look good. Not only had she gained 30 pounds but the stress of the past year had aged her face about ten years. Quinn led her to the sofa. They sat down and talked.

"I was released from protective custody today." said Sandi.

"That's great."

Sandi immediately threw her arms around Quinn and started crying on her shoulder. Quinn responded by wrapping Sandi in her own arms.

"It's alright, Sandi" she said, "Let it out."

* * *

An hour later, after Sandi was done crying it out, Helen came home.

"Sandi, what a pleasant surprise." said Helen.

Quinn said "Mom, Sandi needs to ask a huge favor."

Sandi said "Mrs. Morgendorffer, my parents are dead and my brothers are living in another state with relatives that I'm not on good speaking terms with. I know I'm asking a lot, but I have nowhere else to go and.."

Sandi started to cry once again. Helen was sympathetic.

 _The poor thing_ she thought, _She's lost so much already. I can't possibly turn her away._

"Of course you can stay with us." said Helen.

"Thanks, Mom." said Quinn.

Wiping away her tears, Sandi said "Thank you, Mrs. Morgendorffer."

Later that evening, Quinn and Sandi were in Quinn's room. Sandi looks at herself in the mirror and sighs.

"I look like hell, don't I?"

"Oh, Sandi" said Quinn, "you don't look like hell. Anyone who's been through what you have wouldn't look their best."

Sandi said "That's just a nice way of saying that I do look like hell."

"Sandi, it's easily fixed. Tell you what, tomorrow we'll go to the mall and I'll give you a makeover. You know what kind of magic I can work."

Sandi smiled. She marveled at how Quinn was always nice to her despite all the shit in high school.

 _I wish I had more friends like her._

"Um, Quinn" said Sandi.

"What?"

"Thanks."

* * *

The next day, they went to the mall. They bought some clothes at Cashmans, went to the salon, and had a carefree time. They were unaware that they were being followed. Carmine D'Amato had spotted them by chance and was on them both all day. When they returned home for the evening he went back to Philadelphia.

 _So_ he thought, _that little bitch finally came out of hiding._

The next day, he followed them again. He learned that Sandi had gotten a job at Cashmans and hoped for an opportunity to strike. The opportunity soon came.

* * *

 **June, 2002...**

Sandi Griffin stood in the cemetary staring at two graves. The first headstone read:

Hear Lies:

Thomas Griffin

March 5, 1952-Oct. 30, 2001

"Loving Husband and Father"

Sandi brushed a tear aside as she looked at her fathers grave.

 _It's so unfair_ she thought, _You had nothing to do with any of this. You were just living your life. Mom betrayed you, betrayed all of us. I wish we'd been closer._ At this point, she looked at the other headstone. It read:

Hear Lies:

Linda Griffin

Feb. 26, 1955-Oct. 30, 2001

"Devoted Wife and Mother"

Linda's epitaph made Sandi want to piss on the grave. Linda was anything but what it said. She was a cold and heartless bitch. She had business dealings with the mob. She cheated on her husband with a mob boss. She tried to make Sandi just like her. When Sandi refused to go along anymore, Linda turned on her. Her ultimate betrayal was in wanting her own daughter dead. Sandi tried to be forgiving in her thoughts. She tried and failed. She just couldn't forgive her mother, not after all that had happened.

 _If there is a Hell, mother, I hope you rot there for eternity._

Sandi spat on her mothers grave before placing roses on her fathers. She didn't see Carmine sneaking up on her. She muttered a silent prayer and turned to leave. She gasped as she found herself face to face with Carmine. He had a silenced pistol. Too shocked to run, she stared as he fired two shots straight into her heart. Sandi fell to the ground.

"Tell 'em I said 'Hi'" he said before walking away.

Sandi lay there as the life rapidly bled out of her, she knew she would soon join Linda in Hell. With that last thought, Sandi Griffin died.

 **The End***

 ***A/N:** Not really, there's going to be an epologue.


	10. Epologue

**Epologue**

Sandi Griffin woke up with a start. She was sitting up in her bed, drenched in a cold sweat. She'd been having these nightmares for months now. First, she dreamed that Linda had arbitrarily grounded her for the whole summer. Then came the dreams about discovering her mother had mob ties. Soon, she was dreaming about the mob trying to kill her for knowing too much and Linda being complicit. The dreams about her mother having an extra-marital affair with a mob boss. All of these nightmares. Now, she had one about being shot in the heart while visiting her parents graves. Each nightmare felt real, yet none of it ever happened. Linda had no realtionship, either personal or professional, with the mob. Both of Sandi's parents were alive. There was no mob involvement in the corruption that had gotten Ms. Li arrested. Barch and O'Neil were alive. The only part of that dream that was true was Kevin and Brittany being back together.

Sandi wondered why she was having such dreams. She shook her head as she remembered exactly why: she was afraid and resentful of Linda. She resented her mothers repeated attempts to mold her into a power hungry bitch. She was afraid of her mother learning her deepest, darkest secret. She knew her mother would shun her if she knew. Sandi dreaded her mother finding out, especially since she herself had only very recently accepted the truth about herself. She also hoped her friends would understand if they knew, but feared that they wouldn't. She herself didn't understand it. She didn't even realize it until a month into her first semester at Carter Community College. She met a classmate whom she was now in love with. She kept the relationship a secret out of fear, fortunately her new lover understood. Sandi was fearful of her secret getting out: that Sandi Griffin was a closeted bisexual.

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

This story was originally supposed to be an angsty romance drama. I wrote it right after I'd finished the first season of _Quinn_. The original plot was supposed to be that Sandi discovers she's bisexual when she falls in love with a female classmate during her first semester at college. It ends with Linda finding out and disowning Sandi. I soon decided that the original plot was too far fetched and decided to go with a crime drama instead.

I originally wasn't going to kill Sandi but it soon became apparent that I would have to in order for this story to work. By then I had decided to make _Quinn_ an ongoing series instead of a mini series as I had originally intended. Since I would have to bring Sandi back for that I rushed through chapter 9 of _Heart of the Griffin_ and added the epilogue where it's revealed to be a bad dream. By then I had also decided that a bisexual Sandi wasn't so far fetched after all. (My original plot for _Heart of the Griffin_ resurfaces in highly abridged form in the _Quinn_ episode _Sandi's Secrets._ ) I didn't think this story was very good so I just finished it and put it on PPMB with the intention of never posting it elsewhere.

I changed my mind when _Heart of the Griffin_ was nominated for a Daria Fanwork Award (favorite drama). When the winners are announced they're posted in the order of how many votes they got. _Heart of the Griffin_ came in second. That convinced me to post it here as well. I don't think it's good but the majority of those who have read it clearly disagree. Thank you to the people at PPMB for seeing potential in this story that I myself could not see and thinking it not only worthy of nomination but being so good that it almost won.


End file.
